It was never
densely
populated with
the whole of its
western side
bordering
Bide's Gardens,
donated to the
town in 1916 and
formerly the
gardens of
Kingston Manor
House. On
its western
side, at the
northern end,
were a couple of
cottages
(photographed
below)
demolished for
the widening of
Reckleford. Much
of the western
side was flanked
by a large
orchard, seen on
the map below,
and finally the
large,
nine-bedroomed
Court Ash House
set in its own
extensive
grounds was
located at the
junction with
Court Ash.

Court Ash
House was
demolished to
make way for the
Odeon cinema,
which opened in
1937, thus
altering the
southern end of
Court Ash
Terrace forever,
while the
northern end was
blocked off and
the cottages
destroyed for
the widening of
Reckleford in
the mid-1960s.

Today Court
Ash Terrace is a
short cul-de-sac
in front of the
former cinema
with a small car
park along its
western side and
steps at the
northern end
leading to
Reckleford.

MAP

Map based on the
1886 Ordnance
Survey with
Court Ash
Terrace running
diagonally
across the
centre top, from
Court Ash to
Reckleford. The
open area at top
left is
Bide's Gardens.

Gallery

Court Ash seen
from
Kingston
around 1950.
Bide's Gardens
is at left, the
Odeon Cinema,
dating to 1937,
lies ahead with
Court Ash
Terrace running
to the left in
front of it
while Court Ash
proper runs to
its right, out
of sight in this
photograph. At
right is
Vincent's car
showrooms.

This postcard
dates to the
1920's and shows
the path along
the edge of
Bide's Gardens
at right. At a
much lower level
to the left is
Court Ash
Terrace with
vehicles waiting
to get into the
market. At
extreme left is
Court Ash House
in the only
photograph I
know of it. The
house was
demolished in
the early 1930s to make way
for the new
Odeon cinema on
its site. Court
Ash runs across
the photograph
from Vincent's
showrooms,
glimpsed through
the trees at
centre right,
then past Court
Ash House.

This photograph,
taken in
the early 1960's
looks down
Reckleford Hill
from the
Avenue /
Court Ash
Terrace
crossroads. The
entrance to the
Avenue is at
left with the
sign of the
Black Horse
evident on the
corner. At right
is the entrance
to Court Ash
Terrace -
this section of
Court Ash was
closed a short
while after this
photograph was
taken and the
whole area
including the
top section of
Court Ash
Terrace as
well as all the
buildings to the
Nags Head was
redeveloped as
part of the
widening of
Reckleford.

This photograph,
of the early
1960s, was taken
from the
entrance to the
Avenue with
Reckleford
running across
the photograph.
The houses are
the cottages at
the northeast
corner of Court
Ash Terrace. At
right, the tree
is in Bide's
Gardens.

A 1960's
photograph of
the 'top' end of
Bide's Gardens
at left. This
the junction of
Reckleford,
running across
the photograph,
The Avenue
with the red car
exiting onto
Reckleford and
Court Ash
Terrace in the
lower half of
the photograph.
At top right is
the
Black Horse.

Seen from
The Avenue
around 1965,
Reckleford runs
across the
photograph with
the two cars
while ahead is
Court Ash
Terrace. The
cottages had
been demolished
giving a clear
view of the
cattle market
buildings at
left and the
Odeon cinema
ahead.

The remains of
Court Ash
Terrace
photographed in
2014. Remnants
of Bide's
Gardens at left
and the former
Odeon cinema at
right. The steps
at the far end
(see below) lead
to Reckleford.

Court Ash
Terrace seen
from the steps
leading to
Reckleford.
Photographed in
2014.